News and Features

Center for Public Health Preparedness and Resilience

CNA's Center for Public Health Preparedness and Resilience works with government agencies,
nongovernmental organizations and international organizations to develop, implement, assess and enhance public
health and health care emergency preparedness programs. We apply innovative and customized research and analytical
approaches to help our clients improve decision-making and operate more effectively. Our work is objective,
data-driven and actionable.

Mission

To improve the lives of people and the communities in which they live by strengthening the
public health and health care systems they rely on daily and in times of crisis.

Capabilities

Policy analysis—
We evaluate the efficacy, cost, and consequences of existing
policies; develop alternative approaches for new policies; and design systems for
measuring policy effectiveness in the future.

Planning—
We develop strategic and operational plans based on hazards, threats, or
the functions and phases of emergency management. We incorporate comprehensive
risk management, an understanding of capabilities-based planning, and our extensive
real-world operations experience into our planning approach.

Risk assessment—
We help public health agencies and health care organizations and
coalitions understand the natural, technological and man-made threats and hazards
they face, as well as the potential impacts of those threats and hazards.

Capability and readiness assessment—
We help agencies or jurisdictions
understand their current capabilities and operational readiness, establish practical
targets given their priority threats and hazards, and to make smart investments to
close identified gaps.

Data analytics, and visualization—
We maintain expertise in collecting, processing,
exploring, analyzing, interpreting, and visualizing data for our clients. Our expertise
includes geospatial analysis and disease outbreak modeling, as well as modern
approaches to statistical analysis and predictive analytics.

Modeling and simulation—
We develop computer simulation models for use in
training and exercise programs, operational evaluation and policy development. Our
experience ranges from the design and development of models and interfaces in
advance of training and exercises, to their use during workshops and exercises based
on input from participants.

Training and exercises—
We develop training and exercise programs, and help
agencies implement those programs by designing, conducting and evaluating
trainings, exercises, drills and advanced games. Our approach complies with
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program guidance, yet is flexible and fully
customized to meet the unique requirements of our clients.

Critical incident analysis—
We conduct independent reviews and analyses during
and after real-world incidents to identify critical lessons and needed improvements to
public health and health care response systems and capabilities. Our experts routinely
deploy to disaster areas to collect and analyze data to support operational
decision-making. We have analyzed nearly every major domestic public health
emergency since the 2001 anthrax attacks, as well as many international emergencies.
We also conduct meta-analyses to identify cross-cutting priority areas affecting public
health and health care preparedness.

Recent Reports

To capture critical lessons from the Ebola epidemic of 2014–2016, the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) asked CNA to convene an independent panel of public
health, health care, emergency response and communication experts to review the
department’s international and domestic responses. This report summarizes the
independent panel’s assessment of HHS’s challenges —and, where appropriate,
challenges facing the broader U.S. government — and presents recommendations for
addressing future urgent public health threats.

Substance use disorders, especially those involving the misuse of opioids, represent a
major public health and public safety crisis for communities across the U.S. States and
local communities are using data-driven approaches to better understand the size and
scope of the epidemic, identify populations at risk, and improve the effectiveness and
efficiency of their response efforts.